Street-lantern.



A. 1. SWEET.

STREET LANTERN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14. 1915.

mwm Wu Patentefl July17, 1917.-

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A. J. SWEET.

STREET LANTERN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY14.19I5- -]L,@3$,6 1 T, Patented July 17, 1917.

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A. J. SWEET.

STREET LANTERN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14. I915.

Patented July 17, 1917.

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ARTHUIB, 3'. SWEET, 0F WAUVVATOSA, WISCONSIN.

STREET-LANTERN.

To all. whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, A THUR J. SWEET, citizen of the United" States,residing at lVauwatosa, in thecounty of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Lanterns; and Ldo hereby declare the fol-v lowing to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 1

My invention relates to lighting appliances and more particularly tomeans for effectively housing and utilizing lighting units for streetlighting and other forms of outdoor illumination, although the same beappliedalso to indoor purposes. For street lighting and the like, it hasbeen proven desirable to distribute the light fairly evenly, whichpurpose can be attained by housing the lamp in a properly shaped andproportioned prismatic refractor. However, such an 'inclosing of a lampretards the free radiation of heat from the1latter,-'s0 that theresulting temperature may damage the mounting of the lamp or even apartof the glass bulb of the lamp itself. This danger is increased whenthe'lamps or lighting units used haye light giving elements run at hightemperatures, as is the case with the more eiiicient of the modernilluminants, such as the gas-filled tungsten lamps. Consequently, it isimportant that the sockets and other parts associated with the mountingof such lamps should be cooled: but this cooling must not extend to thepart of the lamp housing the light-giving element,

otherwise the efliciency. of the light production will be lowered. r

In using such high-temperature lamps within inclosingglobes orlanternspit has heretoforebeencustom'ary either to 'make no specialprovision forventilation; or to eflect the latter by openings at the topand bottom of the inclosure, thereby creating an upward current of airpast the lamp, which current usually diverged" outwardly withoutstrikingt-he lamp base at all. In the former case, damage to thesocketand even to the upper partof. thelamp bulb has often resulted. In thelatter case, the" cool air first contacts with the active portion of thelamp before- I passing on to the upper part of the bulb and '-the;lamp-m ounting: consequently, this air is-warmed to such an extent asgreatly to lessen its eflectivenessfor cooling the socket Specificationof Letters Patent. Application filed May 14, 1915. Serial No. 27,986.

Patented July it, 1917.

and the upper portion of the bulb. Moreover-,by expending the. greaterportion of its cooling elfect on the active part of the lamp, the airreduces thei temperature and hence the efficiency of the lamp. .Conseguently, the ventilating methods heretofore. in use have decreased theluminous eficie'ncy of the lighting unlts, or have been utmost in':

effective in' cooling the parts needing to" be cooled, or both. 1

My invention aims to overcome these I culties by. subjecting the upperportion of the lamp bulb (or other lighting unit): and the mounting forthe lampto strong currents of air, but screening the active portion ofthe lamp from most,.if not all of this circulation of air. It also aimsto provide simple and positive means for adjusting the refract.

ing inclosure with respect to the-lamp, so

and a reflector are used, for adjusting the as to secure the desireddistributionof light; from the latter: or, where both a refractor"position of the lamp simultaneously, withrespect to both. It also aimsto provide sim ple means (operated without the "use of tools) forlowering the inclosing refractor to give protection from rain or snow,for keep:

ing insects from entering the hood, for utilizing by reflection theupward rays of light from the lamp, for utilizing any existing wind tocreate a ventilating current of air through the hood, for maintainingboth the? lamp and the light distributing elements (11. e. the refractorand the reflector) vertical in spite of a change in positior of the suporting element: for insulating the app iance as a whole from itssupport :for

readily adapting the same appliance to lighting units ofdistinctlydifierent types or sizes: for shielding the insulation from the weather:for permitting readyaccess to the reflector for cleanin the latter: andfor adjusting the amount of air contacting with the active part ofthelamp. Uther objects Willappear from the following specification andfrom the whichaccompanying drawings, in

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a street lantern embodying myinvention.

embodiment of Fig. 1. I

is a fragmentary. upward/view I a 110' taryplanview of the pp Fig. 2 isa "ertical section through the upv p r Fig. 5 is a fragmentary verticalsection through the same embodiment with the lamp removed, therefracting element lowered, and one of the hooks turned to permit adetaching of the refractor.

While my invention may be utilized with substantially equaleffectiveness with various illuminants and various types oflight-distributing (or refracting and reflecting elements), I have shownit in the drawings as used in connection with a tungsten lamp supportedby a lantern or hood hung from a loop 19, the lamp itself being mountedin a socket 14 suitably fastened to the hood or body of the appliance.This body member may be of various shapes and materials, but is hereshown as including an arched roof or hood proper 12 havingdependingsides or flanges 18 and equipped on its interior with aplurality of lugs 9. Threaded into these lugs respectively are thevertical shanks 11 of supporting members having at their lower endshooks 8. Seated in each of the said hooks 8 is a pin 7 projectingradially from an angle-sectioned ring 6, which ring supports aninclosing globe for housing the lamp and re-directing the light of thelatter. This globe or housing is here shown as of the prismaticrefracting type, comprising an outer element 2 equipped with -a rimseated in the ring 6 and'having vertically disposed prismatic faces onits interior, and an inner element 3 equipped with outwardly directedand horizontally disposed prisms. The twoelements 2 and 3 are separatedby asbestos washers 5 serving-as anexpansion joint from between thesame, and have the lower ends of both closed by a cap 32.

Resting upon the upper edge of the ring 6 is a reflector 10, preferablyof metal, which reflector has integral therewith a perforated rim 15extending substantially to the inner surface of the side walls 13 of thebody member of the appliance. The pins 7 preferably have inner heads 37snapping over the upperedge of the refractor member, so that a raisingof the latter will carry the ring (3 and the reflector 10 upward wit-hit.- By thus raising the ring 6 until the pins 7 clear the tips of thehooks 8 and then slightly rotating the refractor and ring members, thepins 7 may be disengaged from said hooks,

I thereby permitting the refractor or translucent housing to be loweredfor affording access both to the interior of this housing and to thelamp and socket. In this connection, 1 preferably provide a chain 35secured at its ends to the ring 6 and the wall 13 of the body member,which chain will support the housing when thus lowered, as shown in Fig.5.

When the housing is thus out of the way, the hook members may readily beturned in either direction, so as to alter the distance between thehooks 7 and the lugs 9, thereby changing the relative vertical positionof the lamp and the subsequently raised translucent housing, so as tovary the light distribution. The shank 11 of each hook projects througha radial slot 38 in the perforated portion 15 of the reflector member,but the hook portions 8 are normally turned at an angle to the saidslots and present upwardly directed ends facing the said perforatedportion. Upon partially rotating each hook to bring the free end, intoalinement with the corresponding slot, as shown in Fig. 5, the reflectormember may be dropped out of the body member, thereby affording accessto the interior of the latter and to the lamp socket 11 mounted therein.

This lamp mounting preferably is also adjustably positioned, so that itmay be moved vertically for a distance corresponding to the effectivedifference in length between different sizes or types of lamps suitablefor use in the classes of lighting for which my fixture is speciallyadapted. For example, in Fig. 2, the socket proper is carried by a pairof metal stirrups 29 projecting horizontally and each is equipped with areturn bend portion 30 affording two alined perforations through which ascrew 26 extends, this screw being threaded into a lug 25 depending fromthe hood 12 and being locked the socket 14. However, the threading onthe screw 26 is preferably cut away for a considerable part of itslength: so that by turning each nut 38 until it clears the upper portionof the thread, this nut (together with the stirrup carried therebyY mayquickly be dropped to the lower part of the thread and screwed upon thelatter. lly suitably proportioning the length of the unthreaded part ofeach screw and by equipping the latter with a head 27 affording a stopat the lower end of the lower thread, I enable the socket to be quicklynioved from a position corresponding to a relatively long lamp to adistinctly shorter one, the term length being here used as referring tothe distance between the lamp base and the effective center of the lightgiving element.

lVhilc the annular foraminous element 15 affords a screen for keepinginsects out of the interior of the hood, its perforations permit theentrance of air into the latter.

light-giving part of the lamp (which is'protected against lateral or uward air currents by the translucent ref maintained at a relatively hightemperature and therefore at high efficiency. To augment the currents ofair passing through the hood above the reflector-screen 10, I preferablyequip the hood with a chimney construction comprising an innercylindrical chimney 22 equipped at its upper end with an outwardly anddownwardly directed flange 39, and an outer chimney 23 having its lowerend about in horizontal alinement with said flange. The outer chimneypreferably has its upper end slightly contracted and is supported by.stirrups 24 having at their upper ends downward bends which hold thelower chimney. without requiring the latter to be otherwise fastened.

Housed by the two chimneys, but out of contact with both, is aninsulator 21 having a pair of grooves at right angles to each other.Seated in these respective grooves and freely slidable along the latterare a pair of U shaped members 16 and 17, the former of which is a Ubolt fastened rigidly to the hood 12. The other member 17 is' fast uponthe dome or small hood 18 carried by the suspension loop 19, which domealso preferably carries a bumper 20 of insulating material positioned soclose to the insulator 21 as to intercept the arched portion of the Ubolt 16 in case the latter is raised, thereby preventing this U bolt andthe body of the fixture carried by it from being accidentally detachedfrom the said insulator. It will be evident from Fig. 1 that lateral aircurrents striking the exterior ofthe hood 12 will be deflected into thespace between the two chimneys, thereby creating a current as shown bythe arrows 4:0 and simultaneously creating an upward suction of airthrough the inner chimney.

Thus, any prevailing movements of air will create a forced draft throughthe hood, tending to ventilate the interiorof the hood and to cool thelamp mounting. This draft will be increased somewhat by the connectioncurrents due to the heating of the air around the main portion of thelamp, but as the latter is almost entirely inclosed by the refractormember and the reflector 10, the movement of air within the saidinclosure will be comparatively slight and with a high candle-power lampmight not be suflicient to prevent an overheating of the lamp bulb. Toavoid such an overheating, I preferably provide means for admitting alimited amount of air through the bottom of the inclosure, as forexample by providing threaded openings 33, one or more of which may beclosed by screws 34 so as to adjust the amount of air entering throughthe said openings and passing the main part of the lamp. It will beevident that by varying ract-or) may be the number of openings thusconnecting the interior of the glass inclosure with the outer air I canreadily vary the proportion of air impinging respectively against theupper and lower parts of the lamp, or against the light-giving part ofthe-{lamp and the thereby preventing the same from entering the interiorof the body member. Should snow or sleet pack into' the outer chimneywhile the fixture is not in operative service (as in the day-time) thiswill block the normal draft-creating function of the chimney. Then whenthe lamp is lighted, the heating of the air within the hood 12 will soonmelt the snow or sleet, which latter will run down the exterior of thehood, leaving the chimney elements clear for their normal function.

Should the loop 19 be tilted in any direction (as is likely to happen ifthis loop is sus pended from a wire or strand stretched across a street)the weight of the main portion of the fixture will cause the latter toadjust itself to a vertical position by effecting a sliding of the Ushaped members 16 and 17 on the insulator 21. Consequently, the lamp,together with the refractor and reflector members will automatically bemaintained by gravity in precisely vertical positions, thereby affordingexactly the light distribution for which the said members were designed.However, ll do not wish to be limited to this particular-form of aninsulating universal joint, nor to the particular type of translucenthousing, nor to other of the details herein disclosed, it being evidentthat the construction might be modified in many ways without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A lighting appliance including a, hood, a lamp, a translucentlight-.distributer and a substantially flat reflector all carried by thehood: means for movingthe lamp with respect to the hood: and independentmeans for simultaneously moving the light-distributer andithe reflectorwith respect to the hood.

2. A lantern including a hood, a lamp socket, a stem depending from thehood, proand means for securing said support to the stem portions havingsaid projections, the

spacing between said last-named portions corresponding to thedifferences in the efiec tive lengths of various sizes or types of lampsfitting the said lamp mounting.

3. A lantern including a hood having an openingat the top, a supportforsaid hood, a roof carried by the support and disposed over the saidopening: a chimney carried by the hood and encircling said roof but outof contact with the latter, and a flexible joint connectin the supportand the hood and disposed within said chimney below said roof.

4. A lantern including a hood, a support for the same, an insulatingmember dis posed therebetween and equipped with a pair of relativelytransverse peripheral grpoves a pair of U bolts carried by the hood?and-supportrespectively and having their bends seated respectively inthe said grooves, and a guard of insulating material interposed betweensaid member and the support for preventing a relative vertical motion ofthe said U bolts.

5. A lantern including a hood, a support for the same, an insulatingmember disposed therebetween and equipped with a pair of relativelytransverse peripheral grooves, apair of U bolts carried by the hood andsupport respectively and havingtheir bends seated respectively in thesaid grooves, a guard of insulating material interposed between saidmember and the support for preventing a relative vertical motion of thesaid-U bolts: and a cover carried by the support and roofing over bothsaid members and said guard.

6. A lantern including a hood, a lamp supported thereby: an inner and anouter chimney both mounted on the hood. The inner thereof connected withthe interior of the hood and the outer thereof open at both ends to theouter air: means associated with the hood and the outer chimney forcausing a lateral air current to cause an upward draft through the outerchimney, thereby producing an upward suction of air from the interior ofthe hood through the inner chimney: and means for restricting the accessof the said upwardly sucked air sub- 1stantially to a predetermined partof the am a.

7. A lantern including a hood, a lamp supported thereby: an inner and anouter chimney both mounted on the hood, the inner thereof connected withthe interior of the hood and the outer thereof open at both ends to theouter air: means associated with the hood and the outer chimney forcausing a lateral air current to cause an upward draft through the outerchimney, thereby producing an upward suction of air from the interior ofthe hood through the inner chimney: and means for controlling therelative proportions of the said upwardly sucked air contactingrespectively with upper and lower portions of the lamp.

8. A lantern including a hood, a lamp supported thereby: an inner and anouter chimney both mounted on the l1ood,-the inner thereof connectedwith the interior of the hood: means associated with the hood and theouter chimney for causing a lateral air current to cause an upward draftthrough

